Denver Broncos sign Ryan Lilja to replace Dan Koppen

Thursday

Aug 1, 2013 at 6:00 AM

The Denver Broncos have lured Ryan Lilja out of retirement, agreeing to terms Wednesday with the offensive lineman. The Broncos are searching for a replacement at center for Dan Koppen, who is out for the season after tearing his left ACL last weekend.

The Denver Broncos have lured Ryan Lilja out of retirement, agreeing to terms Wednesday with the offensive lineman. The Broncos are searching for a replacement at center for Dan Koppen, who is out for the season after tearing his left ACL last weekend. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Lilja slid over from guard to center for Kansas City last season, but announced his intention to retire after the Chiefs went 2-14.

Veteran linebacker Nick Barnett has agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins on Wednesday after two days of workouts with the team. The Redskins were looking for depth at linebacker after backup Keenan Robinson tore his left pectoral muscle on the opening day of training camp.

The NFL Pro Bowl rosters for next year will be selected in a draft by team captains, with Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice assisting as alumni captains. The NFL will abandon the AFC vs. NFC format that has been in place since 1971. The league said fan voting will determine the players in the draft pool. The draft will be televised by the NFL Network on Jan. 22. The game will be played Jan. 26 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. Other changes are coming to the game, too. The ball will change hands at the end of each quarter, which could double the opportunities for two-minute drills. Kickoffs (and return specialists) will be eliminated — teams will start on their own 25-yard line. Defenses will be allowed to play cover-2 and press coverage in addition to man.

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Scott Gomez is joining the Florida Panthers. The Panthers said Wednesday they agreed to terms with the veteran center on a one-year deal. Gomez leads all active U.S.-born NHL players in assists with 530 and points with 701. The 33-year-old Gomez has also played for New Jersey, the New York Rangers, Montreal and San Jose.

Houston Rockets forward Terrence Jones was arrested in Portland, Ore., on Wednesday after he was seen stomping on a homeless man’s leg, a police spokesman said. A police sergeant on duty shortly after 2 a.m. saw the 6-foot-9 Jones walk by a doorway where two homeless men were sleeping and yell, “Wake up!” before lifting his foot and stomping on one man’s leg, said a Portland police spokesman. Jones, 21, was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on a misdemeanor harassment charge. He was later released on his own recognizance. The Rockets had no comment.

Point guard John Wall has agreed a contract extension with the Washington Wizards. Two people familiar with the deal say it is worth about $80 million over five years. Wall, 22, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.

Missy Franklin gave up her bid for eight gold medals — and it sure paid off. She’s now 3 for 3 at the world swimming championships in Barcelona. Franklin held off hard-charging Federica Pelligrini of Italy to win the 200-meter freestyle on Wednesday night, claiming a title the recent high school graduate really wanted and justifying her decision to cut back on the program. The 18-year-old American originally entered eight events, giving her a chance to match Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to win that many events at a major championship. But after a lackluster showing on Tuesday, she and her coach, Todd Schmitz, decided to scratch the 50 backstroke, a non-Olympic event that she swims mainly for fun.